We’re working on paying you ‘in due course’ – Adwoa Safo to school feeding caterers

The Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sarah Adwoa Safo has reiterated government’s commitment to pay all caterers who have undertaken School Feeding Activities “in due course”.

A statement issued by the Ministry and signed by the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency lawmaker on 13 April 2021 reassured: “all caterers under the Ghana School Feeding Programme that the Government is committed to ensuring that all caterers who have undertaken School Feeding Programme that the Government is committed to ensuring that all caterers who have undertaken School Feeding Activities will be paid in due course”.

Ms Safo noted that “since my assumption in office as the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MOGCSP), I have received several complaints from people who have cooked under the programme and have not yet been paid”.

She therefore indicated that “efforts are being made to assess the state of indebtedness of the GSFP to caterers who have cooked under the Programme and have not been paid”.

“I therefore plead with you all to exercise patience which we do a quick assessment and mobilise the needed resources to settle the indebtedness and move on with a seamless programme that will offer prompt payment to deserving caterers,” the statement added.

It will be recalled that the management of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) said funds are being mobilised to pay all the remaining arrears due caterers for providing a hot meal a day to Form 2 and Form 3 Junior High School students.

A statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Programme, Siiba Alfa, on 30 March 2021, urged the caterers “to exercise restraint while we engage the appropriate authorities for the release of the funds to defray the arrears immediately after the Easter break.”

Last year, the government directed the GSFP to provide one free hot meal daily to students, as part of measures toward curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.